Star Wars Packaging

Package redesign for the Star Wars Miniatures Game for Wizards of the Coast.

We unified the brand look and feel

The brand: Star Wars Miniatures Game

The product: Collectable Miniatures Game Accessories

The customer: Core gamers and Star Wars fans

Our attitude: Be objective. Learn something.

Our approach: Ask questions. Assess the market.

Our goals: Make achievable targets to measure.

Our strategy: Choose tactics. Be unique.

OLD PACKAGING We identified our problem areas

The Star Wars brand manager requested a redesign of the Star Wars Miniatures packaging for a fresh look to introduce a full line of new products based on The Clone Wars animated series: boosters, a starter set, map packs, and a scenario pack. As a team, we needed to be open to ideas and suggestions for improvement.

Together with the brand manager and members of the sales team, we made market walks in retail locations to view the original packaging in a real-world environment. We considered placement, package condition, and visibility on the shelf against competitive products. We visited Target, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, and core hobby stores.

RE-DESIGNED PACKAGINGWe walked before we designed

Our goals for the new packaging included:

Reduce size of package while maintaining visual space of illustrations and logosConsider unique packaging shapes to create distinction and drive visibilityImprove readability and message hierarchy by placement and color choicesShow more of the product contents on the package.Consistency across multiple Star Wars Miniatures SKUs.

For inspiration, we explored beyond toys, games, and hobby items looking at anything that might stand out. We tossed ideas back and forth until we developed a concept that resonated with us. From there, I provided volume and scale information to my designer based on contents, factoring in our sustainable package goals (smaller package).

Recognition: Star Wars Miniatures: The Clone Wars was announced as the best miniatures line at the 35th Annual Origins Awards. The packaging illustrations for this series, by Terese Nielsen, were selected for Spectrum 15 and 16 as among the best in contemporary fantastic art. Layers Magazine featured the Star Wars Miniatures packaging makeover.

Each game release required the development and design of new game pieces. The challenge was to make sure content would still fit the new smaller packaging while maintaining the same game piece scale as in previous releases.

The new booster pack design reduced materials and shipping by 20%. This design also translated successfully for all subsequent Star Wars Miniatures products.